Direct material deposition such as, for example, direct metal deposition is gaining broader acceptance as an approved manufacturing method for creating complex three-dimensional structures. Typically, an energy beam known to provide a sufficient amount of heat energy is infused with a powder metal alloy, causing the alloy to become molten at which time the alloy is deposited upon the workpiece. In addition, the energy beam creates a melt pool of molten workpiece substrate material into which the infused powder metal alloy is joined. While this process has proven technically feasible and commercially viable for many applications, its use has been limited due to temperature differential of the workpiece upon creation of a melt pool.
For example, one application for direct material deposition that has not been feasible is material deposition upon a thin wall or thin metal member of a larger workpiece. In this situation, the thin metal is known to warp while cooling during and/or after the deposition process. As such, necessary dimensional accuracy and stability has proven elusive. Therefore, there is a strong need to develop a process of direct material deposition upon thin walled members, and the like, where dimensional stability is maintained both while generating the melt pool and cooling the workpiece after deposition.